Hydraulically operated log kicker



Jan. 19, 1954 c, R|cHARD$oN 2,666,462

HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED LOG KICKER Filed may 9, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR DOW G. RICHARDSON Jan. 19, 1954 D. c. RICHARDSON HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED LOG KICKER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May Q, 1952 INVENTOR W C.RICHARD$ON Patented Jan. 19, 1954 UNITED STATES e'ijENT ;FFICE HYDRAULICALLY oPnnA'rEn' LOG manna 7 Dow 0. Richardson, Metropolis, 111.

' Application May 9, 1952; Serial No.'286,920'

The present invention relates to log transfer apparatus for use in sawmills of either a portable or stationary character, and more particularly has reference to an apparatus for moving the logs from a deck, skidway or similar supporting surface to the log carriage or other means for moving the log to be sawn past the saw, such apparatus being referred to in the trade as a log kicker.

While numerous arrangements have heretofore been provided for kicking the log onto the carriage, such apparatus'either being actuated by power means or manually, these prior assemblies have not proven too satisfactory, in that they are quite complex as to structural details which materially increases the manufacturing and maintenance'costs so that many millsare'not able to employ the apparatus; Additionally, the majority of the power operated kickers have utilized steam as the medium for operating the power cylinder which requires relatively large cylinders to efficiently handle the load and, in addition, necessitate a plant'for generating'the required steam. Furthermore, these power operated units are difficult to install in all types of mills and a considerable amount of time is required to set up the apparatus for operation. v

Accordingly, one of the important objects of the present invention is to provide a power unit for operating the log transfer means which will overcome the foregoing and other objectionable features now present in the art.

'Yet another object of my invention is to pro-- vide a log kicker wherein a hydraulic power means is employed for operating the log moving member of the kicker. I Q g 'And yet'anoth'er object of 'thejprejsentinvention is to providea log kicker wherein the cylinder carries means externallythereof'iii proximity to the ends of the cyliinder, coope atingwima stop movabie with the'piston rod for limitingthe .ex-i tent of reciprocatory mbvemem of thefpiston rod.

in both directionsofmovement of the piston rod.

' And still a further'iobject of the inventionisto provide a log kicker assemblycomprising but few cardinal working parts,which gisl positive andeflicient operation and whichban be inexpensivelymanufacturedjand maintained. U I I With the foregoing, and other objects in view,

the invention consistsv inthe details ofac'onstruo-.

-In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this applicatiomwherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, partly broken away, of a log kicker constructed in accordance with the present-invention.

Figure 2 is a, view similar to Figure 1, showing the position of the parts after a log has been kicked. onto the sawmill carriage (not shown).

Figure 3 is a top plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 4 (sheet 1) is a view taken along the line '44 of Figure 1, the view looking in the direction of the'arrows, and.

- Figure 5 is an elevational view, partly broken away and partly in cross section, showing the coacting stop members provided on the cylinder and piston rod, respectively.

Figure 1 depicts schematically a log deck or skidway ID, a concrete or heavy timber foundation H spaced below the deck l0, an intermediate timber I2, and log kicker assembly indicated generally l3 supported by the timbers II and [2, respectively.

The kicker l3 comprises a cylinder l4 having an extension [5 at the lower end thereof, the extension I 5 being pivoted to spaced lugs [6 of a base plate H, the base plate being bolted or otherwise conveniently attached to the timber foundation H, the pivot connection being indicated l8. A piston rod l9 provided with a piston (not shown) is reciprocably mounted within the cylinder M and the'piston projects through a packing gland 20 at the upper end of the cylinder. The packing gland may have a hexagonal head 'to facili-. tate removal of the'gland from the cylinder, orv

a cross shaft 24, the'shaft 24 being journalled in a bearing 25'bolted to the upper face of each timber 12, the bearing 25 being disposed below the upper-face of the s'kidway Ill. The arm, 23

has an inwardly curved front edge26, a curved upper edge'21 and flat lower and rear edges 28 and 29,, respectively. Of course the shaft 24 carries twfo arms 23,.as shown'in Figure 3, but for the sakeof simplicity, '-thje'des cription is limited to but a single arm.

f-Hydrauli'c fluid from a-"source of fluid (not shown) admitted into the-interior of the cy1 2,666,462 a 4 inder l4 through a lower port 30 and an upper strikes the disks 35, and consequently, there is port 31 through flexible pipe connections 32 and no danger of the arm 23 moving too far about its 33, respectively, the connections leading to the point of pivot. By admitting fluid into the supply source. A control valve of any convenupper end of the cylinder, the piston will be ient type, together with an operator therefor, is 5 moved downwardly in the cylinder, thereby movinterposed in the conduits 32 and 33 between the ing the arm 23 in a clockwise direction about its cylinder and the source of fluid for controlling point of pivot, whereupon the curved end 26 will the fluid circuit to the cylinder 14. Obviously, prevent the logs from rolling past the arm, as when id shthhitthh ha e h9 t he pi t h arl sh ve in Figure 1- Ne ss t9 Say, the will he hd hd p etd t n-i 9 h 9 10 tl wh a ht r m f th p l h t t hausted through the conduit 33, while admitting inder will be arrested when the "flange'38 engages the fluid into the upper end of the cylinder the disks 42 and hence, the arm 23 cannot turn through the port 3| will move the piston in the beyond its effective distance in a clockwise Opposite directionthe flute $291.93 .taisteh gire tiqa being displaced through the condui t 32. 15 The hydraulic system includes a supply tank As previously mentioned, an important feature connected through piping with a conventional of the present invention is t9 ,prpyide .pum p, a conduit leading from the pump to a which will limit the extent of upward movement four-way valve; conduits extending from the of the piston rod l9 and the extent of downward valve to'the ports 30 and 3| of the cylinder, there movement of the piston Zrod. This arrangement 2 being an exhaust line from the valve to the oil is ,perhapszbest shown .Ei ures 2 ,andfi where tank. {Ihe yalye can be actuated by a suitable it will be noted that an annular metal rin 3. 31s ope ate .s sh a et edal .9 the like. in w d h w h s sureh se h th n r r ad ee its ,kiq i i fimkfi u ed i hhxhbihhlery of the cylinder M at a pp 4 ti t I power operated log turner such as eh htiq S tl N h 1 .2. 1. 5 n hi t s t 9n- .the 2 h eqhhttt fr m hi h r will th hh h th o t-Wat l tl w i i s used for operating the log turner ptwr'eynfider.

is .ihrehti is no e QnfiI. t n

bolted or .ot e wise iqhn e lower planar -ac e,of the V awin s .ehpw two fin tha a gr at r h e lar pantie st y h th thhh h 'ih th d wfor replapem t '9? rep W p pr mo di l-led soloi'lg fas the. t n the'i qtif 9 eonti v 1 m fi qh t 'hhthhtr'i The ring 34 and k5 3 h v tieatures oftheinvenwith l 1. whi h hea p hde d hr. -h g i t Y-, ;.E 1e F r. sageway extending throughou th, ring and the disks. adapted to receiye it hi a .121 ptt h w pivot connection 2. between hhdth h mrt h arm im a Pa annular metal flan M fluid n21 thfiipper and'low'er en ds e cyl der, 1 v e' mean; interposed inlthe conduits, a control {member .for a'ctfu ating the valve means-to, controljthe; fluid new to" and, from th cylinder fstop' .e1ement,earfid, ytthe outer periphery of the cyl fidrflin proximity .to the upper nc fitnere f; lat. e t .Ohe fi'od' connected to the piston rod atlthe l pointoffpiyet .prjtiie not he e d q ethsrriiet ettl heti iiheme? 43, but obviously these disks can he" sec'u thereto in the same manner asthe disks 3 w r/te s am n this "The r and he ehe 1 ;?sqhhtutg qhshth that th d why jr .z rsth n the it qh "L QQQQratiPhLa e h a 1 taths ite wa ye ,6

merit adjacent the lowerend thr''of so that when fliiid is 'admitted'into" t e upper end of the cylinder the extent of downward movement'of the piston rod will be arrested when the flange engages .thesecond meiitio'nedstop element;

' 3. A logtrans'fer apparatus as defined. in and c1aimed.-.by;claini .2. further characterized in .that

\ said stop element comprises an' annularlfiange .75 anchored, toi he. outergperipheryrof theieylinder,

shied-th n w:

and a plurality of superposed resilient disks secured to the lower face of the annular flange to constitute a bumper.

, 4. A log transfer apparatus as defined in and claimed by claim 3 further characterized in that said second named stop element comprises an annular flange fixedly secured to the periphery of the cylinder, and a plurality of superposed resilient disks in facial contact with the upper surface of said annular fia'rige. I v 5. A log transfer apparatus for use with a sawmillhaving a log deck, a kicker arm pivotally mounted for movement about a horizontal axis relative to the log deck, a support member below the log deck, a cylinder mounted on the support member, the piston rod of the cylinder being pivotally connected to the arm, a source of hydraulic fluid, conduits extending between the source of fluid and the upper and lower ends of the cylinder, valve means interposed in the conduits, a control member for actuating the valve means to control the fluid flow to and from the cylinder, a stop element carried by the outer periphery of the cylinder in proximity to the upper end thereof, a pair of parallel rods disposed on opposite sides of and in parallelism to the piston rod, the upper ends of the rods being connected to the point of pivot of the piston rod to the arm, the stop element being provided with diametrically opposed openings through which said rods extend, a flange surrounding the cylinder below the stop element fixedly secured to the lower ends of the said rods and defining a complemental stop element so that when fluid is introduced into the lower end of the cylinder to move the piston toward the upper end thereof, the flange engages the said stop element to thus limit the extent of upward movement of the piston rod thereby restricting the amount of pivotal movement of the kicker arm.

DOW C. RICHARDSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 431,746 Hill July 8, 1890 1,741,951 Pelton Dec. 31, 1929 2,586,483 Ross Feb. 19, 1952 

